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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Page 39

Favorite Carrot Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Wonderfully moist thanks to olive oil, this easy-to-make carrot cake sticks to basics: no pineapple, no raisins, no applesauce. If you’re intimidated by layer cakes—or don’t have the correct pans—bake the cake in a 9 x 13 pan or muffin tins. (Adjust baking times as needed.)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 pounds (about 4 cups) peeled and grated carrots
  • 1 cup raw pecan or walnut halves
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cups maple syrup or honey
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 4 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Cream cheese frosting (see below)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. If you’re making classic cream cheese frosting, don’t forget to pull the cream cheese and butter out of the fridge so they can warm to room temperature.

Step 2

Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in the preheated oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to handle, transfer them to a cutting board and chop them into small pieces. Reserve a couple tablespoons chopped pecans for garnishing the cake, if desired. We’ll stir the rest into the dry mixture in the following step.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, the cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir until blended. Add the grated carrots and chopped pecans and stir to combine.

Step 4

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a big spoon until just combined (a few lumps are okay). Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and spread the batter in an even layer on top.

Step 5

Bake the cakes on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center of the cakes is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the baked cakes on a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

Step 6

When you’re ready to assemble, prepare the frosting as directed. Carefully invert the cakes to release them from their pans. Frost the top of one cake with about one-third of the frosting. Place the second cake on top, and frost the top with another one-third of the frosting. Finish by frosting around the side of the cake with the remaining frosting. If desired, sprinkle the reserved chopped pecans on top.

Step 7

When you’re ready to serve, use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully cut the cake into slices. The cake will keep at room temperature for the rest of the day and for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Cream cheese frosting: Combine 1 pound of cream cheese, 4 tablespoons of butter (both softened), and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Serves 12 — Recipe adapted from cookieandkate.com

Tuna and White Bean Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This Mediterranean dish combines two great brain foods, olive oil and omega-3-rich tuna, and gets a protein and fiber boost from the beans.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed if canned 
  • 1 cup diced celery hearts plus a few celery leaves for garnish 
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced 
  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced crosswise 
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 15 to 20 pitted brine-cured kalamata olives, halved
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar, or more to taste
  • Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper 
  • Head of romaine lettuce
  • 12 ounces tuna, either fresh and seared or the highest-quality canned, flaked

Directions

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, combine the beans, celery hearts, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olives, and parsley.

Step 2

Add the olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently with a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed. 

Step 3

Rinse the romaine lettuce leaves, slice them into ribbons, and arrange in four salad bowls.

Step 4

Top with equal amounts of the salad mixture and the flaked tuna. Garnish with celery leaves and serve. 

Yields 4 servings.

Calabrian Pumpkin Soup

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Simple but sublime is the pumpkin soup my Merry Band of Tasters and I were served when visiting the Librandi family, one of Calabria’s outstanding olive oil producers. “Mama” Librandi shared the recipe with me.

Ingredients

  • 1 3-pound pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, with seeds and membranes removed 
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons water 
  • Sea salt
  • Croutons for garnish (see the “Healthy Ingredient Spotlight” below) 

Directions

Step 1

Using a sturdy knife, cut the pumpkin or butternut squash into roughly 1.5” cubes. Do the same with the potatoes.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin, potatoes, the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender—50 to 60 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer to a blender jar and purée until smooth (don’t fill the blender more than half full—work in batches if necessary). Salt to taste.

Step 4

Divide the soup between warmed soup bowls. Drizzle generously with additional olive oil, and garnish with croutons. 

Yields 6 appetizer or 4 main course servings

Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Colorado

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Mojo colorado is a classic red chile sauce from Spain’s Canary Islands. Great on smashed potatoes, it’s also wonderful as an accompaniment to anything you cook on the grill—meat, fish, or veggies.

Ingredients

For the mojo colorado:

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pimentón
  • 1 small, fresh, hot red chile, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste
  • 1/4 cup water

For the potatoes:

  • 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Coarse kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon pimentón

Directions

Step 1

Make the mojo colorado: Char the bell pepper over a gas burner or under a broiler until it is blackened and blistered on all sides. Peel, stem, seed, and tear it into several pieces. Place in a blender jar with the other sauce ingredients, and blend until smooth. Add more salt if needed or water to thin. Set aside.

Step 2

Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 375°F. (If you used your broiler to roast the pepper, let the oven cool to 375° before continuing the recipe.) Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat a baking dish large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Bake the potatoes until they are soft when pierced with a knife or a bamboo skewer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and gently smash each potato with the back of a large spoon. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season with salt. Top with the grated Manchego cheese and dust with pimentón. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Drizzle with the mojo colorado before serving.

Yields 4 to 6 side-dish servings.